Aizawl, Sep 19 : Mizo Government High School, one of the oldest educational institutions in Mizoram, has been asking students' parents to pay the salaries of six private teachers. Prominent citizens of the state, including chief minister Lal Thanhawla and education minister Lalsawta, studied at the school.

In a letter to parents of students, the principal of the school, Zairemveli, asked them to contribute Rs 500 each for 2012-2013 so that the school can pay the salaries of the six teachers.

Earlier, Zairemveli had asked the parents to contribute Rs 250 each, but later doubled the amount as Rs 250 would not be sufficient to pay the teachers for a year.

She said that the total salary of the six teachers amounted to Rs 56,000 per month, but the contribution by the parents of 1,250 students at the rate of Rs 250 per head would only be Rs 3,12,500, which would cover only for six months' salaries.

The principal explained that the need for contribution from the parents of the students arose due to shortage of teachers for subjects like Mizo, English, history, home science and education, and posts lying vacant due to promotion of three teachers to the post of vice-principal elsewhere.

"The government did not provide teachers to teach Mizo and English during the entire 2011 academic session," she said, adding that the institution has hired seven teachers and has been paying them from the funds allotted to the institution for other purposes. Since the institution could no longer afford to pay them, the school authorities appealed to the parents to contribute for the sake of better education for their children, she said.